WATCH: Ted Cruz Tells Married Gay NYC GOP Voter the Only Protection He Needs Is Religious Liberty

Trump-Leaning New Yorker Asks How Cruz Would Protect Him and His Husband

Ted Cruz is no stranger to gay Republicans from New York, having dined in the home of a New York City real estate developer last year, but he seemed a bit uncomfortable Monday morning at a “Good Morning America” town hall. Small business owner Todd Calogne, introduced as “undecided but leaning toward Donald Trump” told Cruz he is “a life-long Republican” and “married to my husband for two years now.”

“I’ve noticed a lot of religious freedom laws,” Calogne said, “and a lot of institutionalized discrimination laws, happening around the country. What would you as president do to protect me and my husband from institutionalized discrimination?,” he asked.

“When it comes to religious liberty, religious liberty is something that protects all of us,” was Senator Cruz’s immediate response, noting how it appears in the First Amendment. “It applies to Christians, it applies to Jews, it applies to Muslims, it applies to atheists.“

“And all of us, we want to live in a world where we don’t have the government dictating our beliefs, dictating how we live. We have a right to live according to our faith, according to our conscience. And that freedom ultimately protects each and every one of us. And we shouldn’t have the right to force others to knuckle under and give up their faith and give up their belief.”

“I have spent my entire adult life fighting to defend religious liberty,” Cruz continued. “And I think that keeping government out of your lives, protects the freedom of every one of us.”

Ted Cruz absolutely believes that there should be no laws protecting LGBT people or same-sex couples – so that everyone else can be “protected.”

Co-host Robin Roberts stepped in, noticing that the Texas Tea Party Senator had not really answered Calogne’s question.

“But when you talk about freedom, what he referred to with his husband a lot of people would say, doesn’t everybody have the freedom to be treated equally, don’t we all have the freedom to be equal?,” she offered.

Again, Cruz ignored the fact the LGBT people need and deserve protection, deferring to the religious liberty “protections” of the First Amendment.

Cruz’s non-answer again forced George Stephanopoulos to step in, noting that Cruz has supported a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. 

“So what would that mean for couples like Todd and his husband who already are married?,” he asked.

“Listen, I am a constitutionalist,” Cruz insisted. “And under the Constitution, marriage has been a question for the states. That has been the case since the very beginning of this country, that it’s been up to the states. And so if someone wants to change the marriage laws I don’t think it should be five unelected lawyers down in Washington, dictating that.”

“And even if you happen to agree with that particular decision, why would you want to hand over every important public policy issue to five unelected lawyers who aren’t accountable to you, who don’t work for you. Instead, if you want to change the marriage laws, convince your fellow citizens to change the laws and by the way it may end up that we’ve got 50 states and the laws in one state may be different than in another state and we would expect that.”

The video stops there, but it’s likely no one asked Sen. Cruz what he would do if voters decided to annul his own marriage.

Watch above. 

 

Image: Screenshot via ABC News